Savage
by Starsearcher
Summary: Hoshi is forced to watch as Trip loses a part of his humanity... COMPLETE
1. Part One

  
****  
  
Title: Savage   
Author: Starsearcher   
E-Mail: Starsearcher519@hotmail.com   
Rating: PG-13   
Category: Angst, romance, death *allie's challenge idea*   
Codes: Tu/S, all   
Summary: A short 5 part story based on a CHALLENGE in the Tu/S forum   
Disclaimer: Paramount owns all. I own nothing, not even the clothes on my back. Don't sue me! (unless you want my lint collection, which is rather extensive by the way, and quite the find really…I'd be willing to trade for, oh say, 10 bars of gold? No? All right, I'll be generous, 5? But really…I digress….on with the fanfic!)   
  
***Author's note: this is gonna be a short lil fic with 5 parts. Warning...major angst will ensue shortly..***   
* * *   
  
Part One:   
  
"T'Pol to the bridge."   
  
Silence suddenly fell upon the bridge as T'Pol's voice cut sharply into the thick tension in the air. Captain Archer swallowed, and then hit the comm. His hands were shaking.   
  
"Archer here."   
  
There was a brief pause.   
  
"Captain, please report immediately to Sickbay."   
  
Another pause. Archer seemed to be at a loss for words.   
  
"Is he...?"   
  
There was a long period of silence on the other end.   
  
"Is Ensign Sato with you, sir?"   
  
My heart stopped for just a moment as I heard my name. I looked between Travis and the Captain, searching for some sign of support, or optimism.   
  
There were none.   
  
"I'm here." I replied.   
  
"Ensign...please make your way here as well."   
  
The silence on the bridge was deafening.   
  
Without a word to anyone, I walked to the turbolift, my face pale as I steadied myself for the worst.   
  
* * *   
  
"Ensign...Ensign Sato..."   
  
I looked up into the calm eyes of Sub-Commander T'Pol, who was still dressed as a Waiidt trader. Her hair was disheveled though, and there were traces of blood on the front of her robes.   
  
I didn't have to ask whose blood it was.   
  
"How is he?" I asked, hoping my voice did not tremble.   
  
T'Pol paused, looking behind her. Dr. Phlox came out to stand beside her, the expression on his usually cheery face a mixture of fear and sorrow.   
  
"His condition is...severe. I advise against you seeing him, Ensign. For your own-"   
  
I pushed past him, refusing to listen. I didn't care anymore. All I knew was that I needed to see him.   
  
It didn't matter how he was...   
  
He was here. He was here. He was alive. He was here.   
  
...   
  
...   
  
...   
  
Oh God.   
***** 


	2. Part Two

Part Two:   
  
Pain.   
  
Cold...hot...   
  
Pain.   
  
Chest...hurt...pain...stop...please...   
  
_The hot steel blade bit into his chest, the smell of his own burning flesh dizzying him. Every moment passed by slowly, so slowly that he could feel his skin stretching and breaking._   
  
Stop...   
  
Lights...too bright.   
  
Everything...too bright.   
  
Too bright...   
  
_The blinding white of the room made his eyes hurt. Looking around, he could see that the only spot of color in the room lay upon his body, upon the open wounds that bled continuously. He reached a tentative hand to the largest wound, the symbol that had been freshly carved into his skin. It stung..._   
  
Smell...that smell...too strong...sick...   
  
So sick...   
  
_The stench that filled the white room was terrible. He could barely breathe. The thought of suffocating crossed his mind, but he could only think about it for a few moments before his body convulsed._   
  
Dry...mouth dry...   
  
So sick...   
  
_The taste of his own fluids poisoned his lips, making him wipe at the chapped skin frantically. He tried in vain to spit it up, to rid himself of the taste, but it clung to every part of him. It consumed him._   
  
Sound...loud...   
  
Stop...too loud...hurts...   
  
_The piercing whine of the device in the room rattled in his mind. He couldn't hear anything except for that high shriek. He couldn't think. He couldn't think at all...it was everything._   
  
Stop the noise...   
  
Stop.   
  
"...Trip?"   
  
Sound...   
  
_Trip_   
  
Trip...Trip?   
  
Familiar.   
  
Sound...voice.   
  
Voice...woman...voice...   
  
_A dream...   
  
Hoshi giggled, smiling at him.   
  
"Sing for me," he asked, whispering in her hair. She giggled again, but at the pleading look in his eyes, she smiled and nodded. She sang softly, but beautifully, and he breathed in the scent of her hair as she sang to him..._   
  
Sound...   
  
Sound...   
  
NO! STOP!!   
  
* * *   
  
Without warning, he lashed out blindly, his fists connecting solidly with bone.   
*****  



	3. Part Three

Part Three:   
  
Nothing I have ever seen or done could have prepared me for this...   
  
Not for this...   
  
God.   
  
_God_.   
  
What did they do to him?   
  
He was naked, covered in sweat and blood. His skin was peeled, dry, and flaking in some places; burnt in others. There were cuts, god, cuts _everywhere_. Some had already dried, the dark blood lumped in clots along the straight lines that ran over his body.   
  
Others...others were more recent.   
  
It was something I didn't want to see, but something that I could not tear my eyes away from.   
  
My God...what had they done to him?   
  
He was shaking, shaking terribly and uncontrollably, his arms around himself as he rocked back and forth. His shoulders shook, and I could hear the sobs that came from deep within. Low, heart-wrenching sobs.   
  
"...Trip?" I said soothingly, moving closer to him.   
  
He seemed to listen for a moment. He lifted his head to me, his brilliant eyes blinking hard as he tried to focus.   
  
I felt my stomach lurch as I looked into those eyes. There was nothing familiar there...nothing at all.   
  
My Trip was not there.   
***   
  
Without warning, Hoshi fell back, shocked at the force of the blow. Around her, Captain Archer, T'Pol, and Phlox moved in, helping her back away from Trip, who was now huddled in the corner.   
  
"You should not have tried to approach him, Ensign. He is highly unstable."   
  
T'Pol's calm voice did nothing to quell the shock and pain inside of Hoshi. Blindly, she too swung at the people holding her back, unaware that she was hitting her superior officers.   
  
She didn't hear Archer call for Malcolm, nor did she hear the frantic pleas from Phlox for her to calm down.   
  
All she could hear was the quiet, wretched whispers that came from his lips, the inane words that at first made no sense at all.   
  
_"Slumber...is near...guard...dreams...terror..."_   
  
Hoshi felt herself lost in the tones of his voice. Just as realization finally dawned upon her, however, she felt a dizzying presence overtake her mind. _No_, she thought, trying to fight the overbearing force on her mind. _No...I can reach him now...I know how...STOP!_   
  
Reaching out towards Trip, she found that what was left of her strength was gone. She fell back, her thoughts becoming darkness.   
  
***   
  
"Malcolm, how much longer?"   
  
"The force field is in place, sir."   
  
"Good."   
  
"Captain?"   
  
"Yes?"   
  
"How is the Commander?"   
  
"I don't know, Malcolm. Phlox says that while the physical damage is being remedied, the mental challenges that await are beyond even his skills. We're going to need a lot of help here."   
  
"Captain?"   
  
"Yes?"   
  
"Do you know what he keeps saying? The words...they sound familiar, somehow."   
  
"I don't know, Malcolm...I just don't know."   
  
"She might."   
  
"I don't want her taking that risk, Malcolm."   
  
"Captain...with all due respect...it's hers to take."   
  
"Perhaps...we'll see."   
*****  



	4. Part Four

Part Four:   
  
I woke up to see him looking at me with confusion and fascination in his eyes.   
  
Slowly, I lifted my head from the biobed, aware that my every move was being watched. My head ached, but I ignored the pain, moving slowly but steadily towards him.   
  
The soft hiss of energy caught my attention for a moment.   
  
Malcolm, I thought as understanding dawned upon me. They were keeping him behind invisible walls. They were keeping him caged.   
  
Like an animal.   
  
I moved as close as I could get without touching the force field. Looking at him intently, I whispered, "I'm going to get you out of there."   
  
I searched for the actual device that Malcolm had planted and found them on either ends of sickbay. Finally, all that training with armory equipment was paying off.   
  
The force field shut down with a quiet, dying whine that faded within seconds.   
  
I moved closer.   
  
***   
  
Pain…stinging pain.   
  
Sound…machines…engines…   
  
_The drilling sound reached his ears long before his screams reached the ears of the guards. Someone was holding him down, wrapping his arms around his body.   
  
Trip screamed, screamed out Hoshi's name, forcing himself to think back to the comfort of her arms, the soothing sound of her voice._   
  
So…beautiful.   
  
_"Sing for me, Hoshi," he pleaded, kissing her throat and neck gently. She giggled, but kissed him back and smiled, nodding.   
  
"Trip…" she whispered to him, her smiling face touching his._   
  
My…name…   
  
Someone talking…   
  
_Trip smiled, holding her against him as she sang for him._   
  
Beautiful.   
  
_"Slumber my darling, thy mother is near…Guarding thy dreams from all terror and fear…Slumber, my darling, I'll wrap thee up warm...and pray that the angels will shield thee from harm.   
_  
  
So beautiful.   
  
Beautiful…   
  
So…painful.   
  
_Trip screamed again, biting back his tears. All he knew was that he had to escape, that he had to get away from the hated, horrible, controlling arms around him. He thrashed about violently, seeking to hurt whatever was holding him back.   
  
He hit it.   
  
Again._   
  
Again.   
  
_And again.   
  
He smiled in satisfaction when he felt the force around him weaken. He broke free, felt himself running despite the pounding pain in his mind and the ache of his body.   
  
Suddenly, more forms, more arms fell upon him. He struggled against them, but they were too heavy to push away. He sought to hurt them too, but they stopped him. There was a sudden, new sensation in his chest. He coughed, spitting up blood._   
  
All turned black.   
  
***   
  
"My God…"   
  
Jonathan Archer stepped past his friend's shaking form as Malcolm lifted the commander up from the floor.   
  
There was blood on Trip Tucker's hands.   
*****  
  



	5. Part Five

Part Five:   
  
_So this is what it feels like…   
  
Is it?   
  
Is this all there is?_   
  
"Trip…"   
  
_I don't want to leave. Please don't make me leave.   
  
Please.   
  
…   
  
…   
  
…   
  
Do you know what you're doing? Do you even know who I am anymore?   
  
It's me…Hoshi…   
  
Your Hoshi…   
  
Don't you recognize me?   
  
Don't you remember?   
  
We had so many memories…   
  
No…please stop.   
  
Stop hurting me, Trip.   
  
Please…   
  
…   
  
…   
  
…   
  
What did they do to you? God…I want you back…I want everything back to the way it was.   
  
Do you even remember the way it was?   
  
Don't make me go.   
  
Please, don't make me leave.   
  
I love you   
  
I love you.   
  
Trip…I love you…   
  
Don't make me leave…I don't want to go…I don't…I don't…_   
  
***   
  
Blood.   
  
Red.   
  
Thick.   
  
Warm.   
  
Sound...someone saying something...   
  
_"Trip! Come on, now, don't make me beg!"   
  
He laughed at her pouting lips, her eyes sparkling with joy in their game. He held the PADD above her head, just out of reach. She sighed in mock annoyance and smirked.   
  
"You better give it back to me now, Mr. Tucker."   
  
He raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And why should I do that, Ms. Sato?"   
  
"Do you really want to know?" She had a mischievous smile on her face.   
  
He grinned.   
  
She leaned in very close, her breath warm on his cheek. Moving even closer, she whispered into his ear, her hands caressing the nape of his neck._   
  
Something important…someone.   
  
Who?   
  
Blood…   
  
Red…   
  
_"Wow," he said, looking in awe at her as the door slid open.   
  
The red dress was beautiful, gently hugging her every curve. His breath caught in his throat as she gave him a shy smile.   
  
That smile was amazing…_   
  
Who is that?   
  
That…woman…who?   
  
_"Don't you remember?" Her face fell at the confused look on his face. "It's our-"   
  
He suddenly smiled brightly and kissed her, the taste of her lips setting fire to his heart. He let his mouth linger on hers for a moment before puling away, breathing in the scent of her body. From behind his back, he presented her a bouquet of red roses. She gave a small gasp at the sight of them, and pulled him in for another kiss…_   
  
Remember…   
  
Think…   
  
_"I love you…you know that, right?" He whispered to her, enjoying the feeling of her warm body wrapped in his arms. She gave a small nod, making that soft noise of acknowledgement that he adored. He pulled her in even closer, the blanket around them sealing their embrace together.   
  
"Sing for me?" he asked, kissing the top of her head. She smiled up at him.   
  
Her voice was so beautiful._   
  
Hoshi.   
  
Her voice.   
  
Hoshi…Hoshi…   
  
_Hoshi gave a cry of pain, falling down onto the cold floor of the room. _  
  
Oh no.   
  
_He hit her.   
  
Again.   
  
Again.   
  
And again._   
  
No…God…no…   
  
No...   
  
Please don't go. Don't leave me.   
  
No…baby, no….darlin'…come on now…   
  
Don't leave…please…   
  
Don't go…don't go…don't go…   
  
***   
  
Captain Archer helped Malcolm support the weakened commander to the nearest biobed. Archer swallowed, not sure of what to say.   
  
Trip turned his head slowly to face him.   
  
In all his years, Jonathan Archer had never seen anyone look so broken.   
  
So defeated.   
  
"Where is she?" Trip whispered, his voice raspy.   
  
Archer looked at Malcolm, who was shaking his head gently. The usually composed armory officer was pale.   
  
"She's…resting," Archer said, offering a weak smile. "Over there…"   
  
"Please…can I have just a moment with her?"   
  
Trip's tone was pleading, and Archer found that he could not say no. He nodded, sighing as he followed Malcolm to the door.   
  
***   
_  
Hoshi…I'm comin' for you… I'm not going to leave you…I won't let you leave me…   
  
Can you still sing for me, darlin'?   
  
…   
  
…   
  
…   
  
I'll sing for you, then…ok?   
  
I'm here for you…_   
  
"Slumber…my darling…"   
*****  
  



End file.
